WLAN Having Load Balancing Based on Access Point Loading

• US 20130028116A1
• Filed: 07/20/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kostic, Zoran, Leung, Kin K., Yin, Hujun
• Granted Patent: US 8,934,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0205 at the air interface dynamic wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0289 Congestion control load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A network having distribution of access point loading includes access points to which mobile stations can associate themselves based upon access point beacon signal levels and loading levels for the various access points. A mobile station receives beacon signals from various access points and determines a signal strength for the received beacon signals. The mobile station also receives access point loading information from the access points. The mobile station associates with an access point based upon the access point beacon signal strengths and the access point loading information.

Claims

1-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A method for establishing an association between a mobile station and an access point in a wireless network comprising:

determining values for a plurality of parameters, the plurality of parameters comprising mobile station priority weighting and an overall network loading;

transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters to the mobile station in a beacon signal; and

associating the access point with the mobile station in response to an association request received from the mobile station, the association request based on the values for the plurality of parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises load level information of the access point.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises an access point priority of the access point.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the load level information further comprises a transmission queue length and a number of transmitted error packets.

22. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a request for the values for the plurality of parameters from the mobile station, wherein the transmitting the values for the plurality of parameters to the mobile station is in response to the request.

23. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining link quality between the access point and the mobile station.

24. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

determining a cost function based on the values for the plurality of parameters.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

transmitting the cost function to the mobile station.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein determining the cost function further comprises:

determining the cost function based on a traffic intensity of the access point.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein determining the cost function further comprises:

determining the cost function based on a signal strength of the access point.

28. An access point comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

an interface coupled to the processor and configured to communicate with a mobile station via a beacon signal; and

a module coupled to the processor, the module configured to;

determine values for a plurality of parameters comprising mobile station priority weighting and overall network loading;

transmit the values for the plurality of parameters to the mobile station in the beacon signal via the interface; and

store the values for the plurality of parameters and a number of currently associated mobile stations in the memory, wherein association of mobile stations is based on the values for the plurality of parameters.

29. The access point of claim 28 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises load level information of the access point.

30. The access point of claim 29 wherein the load level information comprises a transmission queue length and a number of transmitted error packets.

31. The access point of claim 28 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises an access point priority of the access point.

32. A method for establishing an association between a mobile station and an access point in a wireless network comprising:

receiving values for a plurality of parameters in a beacon signal from one of a plurality of access points, the plurality of parameters comprising a mobile station weighting and an overall network loading;

selecting to associate the mobile station with the one of a plurality of access points based on values for the plurality of parameters; and

associating the mobile station with the one of the plurality of access points based on the values for the plurality of parameters.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises load level information of the one of the plurality of access points.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the plurality of parameters further comprises an access point priority of the one of the plurality of access points.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein the load level information comprises a transmission queue length and a number of transmitted error packets.